Apparatus for taking folded or unfolded sheets of paper from a pile thereof and conveying the same to a device for further treatment



g. i9, 1947. R. HEPP 2,425,936 APPARATUS FOR TAKING FOLDED OR UNFOLDEDSHEETS OF PAPER FROM PILE THEREOF AND CONVEYING THE SAME To A DEVICE FORFURTHER TREATMENT Filed April 17, 1942 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Figi n i g5 1e?i I A :1w 0 l :E wf/ w 5;;

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Aug.19,1947. R EPP 2,425,936'

APPARATUS FOR TAKING FOLDED 0R U'NFOLDED SHEETS 0F PAPER TRO A PILE HESAME '1.0 A DEVICE FOR FURTHER TREATMENT Filed April 17, 1942 6Shets-Sheet 2 THEREOF AND CONVEYING T ug. l9, 1947. R HEPP 2, 25,936APPARATUS Fon TAKING FoLDED on UNFOLDED sHEETs oF PAPER Fnol A PILETHEREOF AND-CONVEYING THE sAlE To A DEVICE FOR FURTHER TREATMENT FiledApril 17, 1942 Sheqtsqhoet 3 vAug. 19, 1947. R, HEPP l 2,425,936APPARATUS Fon TAKING FOLDED on UNFOLDED SHEETS o? PAPER EROI A PILETBBHEOF AND CONVEYING THE SAIE T0 A DEVICE FR FURTHER TRBATIBNT FiledApril 17, 1942 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 NED *y Inventor:

2,425,936 PER FROM A PILE HER TREATIBNT 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Aug. 19, 1947.R, HEPP APPARATUS on TAKING FoLDED 0R UNFOLDBD SHEETS 0F YA I THERBOPAND CONVEYING THE sus To' A DEVICE Fon FURT Filed April 1v. 1942//Inventor:

Aug. 19, 1947. 'R HEPP 2,425,936 APPARATUS FOR TAKING FOLDED 0R UNFOLDEDSHEETS 0F PAPER FROM A PILE THEREOF AND CONVEYING THE SAME To A DEVICEFoa FURTHER TREATMENT Filed April 17, 1942 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 .Im/en (or:

gfffay.

Patented Aug. 19, 1942 2,425,936 FICE APPARATUS FOR TAKING FOLDED R UN-FOLDED SHEETS OF PAPER FROM A PILE THEREOF AND CONVEYING THE SAME TO ADEVICE FOR FURTHER TREATMENT Rudolf Hepp, Berlin, Germany; vested in theAttorney General of the United States Application April 17, 1942, SerialNo. 439,378 In Germany April 25, 1939- 4 Claims. l

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for taking folded orunfolded sheets of paper from a pile thereof and conveying the same toa` device for further treatment. More particularly my invention relatesto apparatus of the type in which the said sheets are successively takenfrom the bottom side of a pile by means of a conveying device movablebelow the pile and comprising a roll for taking the sheet from the pileand pile supporting means mounted on the said conveying device.

One of the objects of the improvements is to provide an apparatus ofthis type in which the bottom side of the pile is exactly held in theproper position relatively to the said roll, and with this object inview my invention consists in providing rigid supporting means on thesaid conveying device which are movable in such a way that they travelacross the bottom side of the sheet substantially with friction, thesaid supporting means being moved in a direction opposlte to thedirection of the progressive movement of the said conveying device `andsubstantially at the same velocity as the said conveying device.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the said supporting means arein the form of a set or sets rollers located one beside the other andadapted to be rotated during themovement of the conveying devicesubstantially at the velocity of the said progressive movement of theconveying device and in a direction opposite to the said movement of theconveying device.

Another object of the improvements is to provide an apparatus of theclass indicated which is capable of rapid operation, and with thisobject.

in view my invention consists in constructing the said conveying devicein the form of a rotary frame on which the said roll or grippingapparatus is mounted, and which is continuously rotated for moving thesaid gripping device across the bottom face of the pile.

Another object of the improvements is to provide apparatus for takingthe sheets from the conveying device, and with this object in view myinvention consists in associating a rotary drum with the said conveyingdevice, the said drum having a gripper arm pivotally mountedeccentrically of its axis and in position for gripping a sheet conveyedthereto by said conveying device, the said gripping device beingyieldingly connected with means for imparting rocking movement theretofor moving the same into positions respectively for taking a sheet fromsaid conveying device and for releasing the said sheet.

Other objects of the improvements will appear from the followingdescription.

For the purpose of explaining the invention.

` view being taken in the direction of several examples embodying thesame have been shown in the accompanying drawings in which the samereference characters have been used in all the views to indicatecorresponding parts. In said drawings Fig. 1 is a top plan view of theapparatus partly in section', n

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 andshowing one of 'the rotatable members in position for taking a sheetfrom the pile and another rotatable member in position for delivering asheet to a receiving device adapted to carry the said sheet to anapparatus for further treatment of the sheet.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation similar to the one illustrated in Fig. 2and showing one of the rotatable members in an intermediate position inwhich it has taken a sheet from the pile,

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the apparatus showing the gearing fordriving the operative parts of the apparatus and the suction headforming a part of the gripping device,

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 6 is a detail view showing thecam controlling the movement of thegripping member mounted on the sheet receiving drum, the said the arrows6--6 of Fig. 1, v

Fig. 7 is a detail view showing apart of the gripper controllingmechanism,

Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 4 andshowing a portion of the suction head,

Fig. 9 is a detail view showing thegripping roll in inoperativeposition,

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary sectional elevation showing a modiiication ofthe gripping disks,

Fig. 11 is'an elevation on an enlarged scale showing a part of the pilesupporting means,

Fig. 12 isa topplan view of the upper part of the supporting means shownin Fig. 11,

Fig. 13 is a bottom view of Fig. 11 showing another part of the saidsupporting means,

Fig. 14 is a side elevation of Fig. 13,`

Figs. 15-18 are diagrammatical elevations showing modications of theconveying device,

Figs. 19 and 2O are fragmentary elevations showing a modification of thegripping device, and

Figs. 21 to 23 are diagrammatical elevations showing modications of thepile supporting means.

In the. example shown in the drawings the operative parts of theapparatus are mounted on a frame comprising side members I formed witharms 2 and sand a projecting portion 4. On the said frame three distinctdevices are mounted, viz., a rotary device 5 supporting piles of sheets6 and adapted to take therefrom the sheets, de-

all fixed to a shaft I2 rotatably mounted in bearings I3 provided in theside members I. On the said plates 9, I and II gripping rolls and pile`supporting rollers 40 are rotatable. The gripping rolls comprise tubularshafts I4 each extending from the end plate 9 to theend plate I0. At oneof their ends the said tubular shafts have sleeves Il fixed theretowhich are rotatable in bearings Il made in the plates 9, and at theiropposite ends the shafts are fixed to hubs I1 rotatably mounted ontrunnions I3 fixed in bores of the plate I0. 0n the tubular shafts I4gripping or suction disks 2li are mounted which are adapted to be xed inposition on the shafts by means of screws 2 I, and which are spaced fromone another by disks 22. The said spacing disks 22 are formed withcut-out portions 23 the end walls of which provide abutments for rods 24extending through bores made in sets of three disks 20. As shown thedisks and 22 are combined into sets each comprising three disks 20 andtwo disks 22, and each set is associated with a support for a pile ofsheets to provide a gripping and conveying device for a sheet conveyingstation, the apparatus being provided with a suitable number of stationstwo of which have been illustrated in Fig. 1. The said rods 24 carrynuts at their ends adapted to clamp the disks 20 and 22 together. Thedisks 22 are fixed to the shafts I4 by means of screws I9, and the disks20 may be .set into different angular positions relatively thereto andwith the rods 24 bearing on either one of the abutments `provided by thenotches 23 for setting the gripping disks 20 of any station into and outof operative positions, as will be described hereinafter.

As is shown in Fig. 2, the gripping disks are provided each with asocket 26 in which a suction cap 21 is located which is formed with anaxial bore, and which communicates through an inwardly directedextension of the socket 26 and a hole 28 made in the wall of the tubularshaft I4 with the inner part of the said shaft, for producing suctionwithin the cap 26. The outer face of the end plate 9 is formed with afinished portion 30 which is loosely engaged by a segmental suction head3| disposed concentrlcally of the shaft I2. The said suction head isformed with a segmental cavity 32 and it is elastically held in contactwith the surface of the portion 30 by means of coiled springs 33 locatedbetween the outer face ofthe head 3| and a plate 34 l secured to theside member I, pins 35 being fixed to the head 3| and loosely engagingholes made in the plate 34 for holding the head 3| and the springs 33 inposition. The cavity 32 is adapted to be thrown into communication withthe hollow of the shafts |4 and to be disconnected therefrom as theplates 9, I0 rotate, as will be described hereinafter. The head 3| isconnected by a pipe 36 with a vacuum chamber or other suction decavityand the suction chamber. The said slides are fixed in set positions bymeans of screws 33 engaging in slots 39.

As appears from Figs. 2 and 3, in the example shown 1n the gures threesuction rolls |4, 20 are provided, which are displaced relatively to oneanother at angles of 60. But I wish it to be understood that myinvention is not limited to the number of the suction rolls shownherein.

Further, I wish it to be understood that my invention is not limited tothe use of the gripping means shown herein and operated by suction.

Between the suction disks 20 the aforesaid pile supporting rollers 40are located which provide rigid bottom supports for the pile. As shownthe said supporting rollers are smaller in diameter than the grippingdisks, and they are located close to one another and as near as possibleto the suction disks 20. The supporting rollers 40 are located near thecircumference of the plates 9, I0 and on a concentric circle and theirouter portions provide a concentric support for the pile of sheets. Theyare rotatably mounted in the plates 9, I0 and and at one of their endsthey have trunnions 4| fixed in sockets, which are rotatable in bores ofthe plate I0.

To the shaft I2 disks 42 are secured one for each station, and the saiddisks are formed with wings 43 extending between successive suctiondisks 20 and providing guiding members for the sheets of paper takenfrom the pile as will be described hereinafter.

The shaft I2, the rolls I4, 20 and the rollers 40 are provided withmechanism for imparting rotary movement thereto, which will be describedhereinafter.

The pile of sheets 6 supported on the rollers 40 is held in position bythe following mechanism: On a rod 46 xed to the arms 2 of the sidemembers two split rings 41 and a split ring 48 are clamped by means ofscrews 49. The rings 41 are cast integral with a downwardly directedbail 58 formed with an internally screw-threaded eye 50 engaged by ascrew-threaded spindle 5| carrying a milled disk 44 the said spindlebeing adapted to be fixed in position by nuts 45. On the reduced end 52of the said spindle 5| a bail 55 is pivotally mounted which is formed atits ends with eyes 56 to which a rod 51 is secured. The split ring48 isformed with an upwardly directed internally screw-threaded eye 60 whichis engaged by a spindle 6| adapted to be fixed in position by nuts 59.On the reduced end of the said spindle a bail 62 is pivotally mountedeyes 63 of which carry a. rod 65. To the outer ends of the rods 51 and65 upright rails 66 are secured which carry laths 61. The said lathsprovide supports for the pile 6 as is shown in Fig. 3. To the bottomends of the laths sheet metal tongues 68 are secured which extend intoposition between the disks 20, and which are bent inwardly at theirbottom ends and towards the said disks, as is best shown in Figs. 2 and1l.

The laths 6l are adapted to be set into different positions according tothe character of the sheets of the pile 6, and more particularly theymay be elevated and inclined from the vertical more or less and shiftedwith the tongues 68 circumferentially of the gripping device 5. For thussetting the laths 6l the split rings 41 and 48 and the nuts 45 and 59are loosened, the spindles 5| or 6| are screwed inwardly or outwardly,and the split rings are set circumferentially of the rod 46 and i'lxedagain in position.

loosening the split rings 41 and 48.

. `accesso To the ends of the upper rods 65 arms 10 are said arms carrylaths 12 which engage the pile 6 at its ends. The said laths 12 may beset in different positions in accordance with the breadth of the sheetsby shifting the arms -10longitudinally of the rods 65.

It will be understood that laths 61 and cooperating mechanism areprovided for each station of the apparatus, Fig. 1 showing two of suchstations and pile supporting means 61.

At the sidey of the sheet conveying` device 9, I8, I I, I2 remote fromthe pile supporting devices 61, 12 the said sheet receiving devices 8one for each station are provided. As appears from Figs.

1 to 3, 6 and 7 the said sheet receiving devices comprise disks 15, twofor each station, xed to a shaft 16 rotatably mounted in the sidemembers I, I and adapted to be rotated by mechanism to be describedhereinafter. Oneach disk a gripping arm 11 is mounted, and all the arms11 are mounted on a pivotal shaft 18. The said gripping arms are adaptedto be moved.fromv the position shown in Fig. 2 in dotted lines into theposition shown in full lines, while the drums 8 perform their rotarymovement. Each gripping arm is loosely mounted on the shaft18 and it isadapted to be moved into and out of gripping position by a pin 19 fixedto the shaft 18 and acting on the gripping arm 11 through a coiledspring 80, the said spring being provided for adapting the gripping armto sheets or folded sheets of different thicknesses. The pins 19 bear onpins 14 fixed to the gripping arms, the said pins 14 retracting thegripping arms when the shaft 18 is turned clockwise. Nearone end theshaft 18 is mounted in an eye 8|l carried by an arm 82 fixed to theshaft 16, a counter weight 83 being provided for balancing the eye 8|and the parts connected therewith. To the end of the shaft 18 an arm 84is secured which carries a roller 85 engaging in a cam groove 86 made ina disk 81 fixed to the side member I. As is shown in Fig. 6 the disk isfixed in position by means of screws 89 passing through slots 88, sothat the disk 81 and the cam groove 86 may be adjusted in position.

The driving mechanism of the parts of lthe apparatus is constructed asfollows: To a shaft 98 which is rotatably mounted in the side member Iof the framea pulley 9| and a pinion 92 are secured. The said pinion isin engagement with a loose gear wheel 93 and the said gear wheel 93 isin mesh with a gear wheel 94 secured to the shaft I2. Thus, rotarymovement is imparted to the plates 9, I and II. The hubs I1 are madeintegral with gear wheels 95, and the trunnions 4I are made integralwith pinions 96, and the said gear wheels 95 and pinions 96 are in meshwith an internal gear 91 fixed to one of the side members I of theframe, spacing members 98 being provided between the said side member Iand the internal gearing 91.

The gear wheel 92 is in mesh with a loose gearing |00, which is in meshwith a gear IUI secured to the shaft 16.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: Piles of sheets of foldedor unfolded paper or the like are placed on the rollers`49 in positionfor being laterally supported by the laths 61 and 12. The properposition of the laths 61 regulated by setting the split rings 41 and .48and the screws I and 6I into the proper positions after first Thus theheight and the angularity of the laths 61 and also the position of thetongues 68 relatively to the conveying device comprising the rolls I4,28 and f the rollers 40 is adjusted. .i As appears from Fig. 2,

' shaft I4.

the rollers 48 provide a cylindrical support for the pile, andthe'suction caps 21 slightly project beyond the outer circumference ofthe series of rollers 40. so that the said caps safely engage the sheetsoi' paper.

If only a part of the conveying devices is used, the suction apparatusof the other conveying de` vices is made inoperative by turning thedisks 28 from the positions shown in Fig.` 2 in which the rods 24 bearon the right hand end wall of the notch 23 anti-clockwise and intopositions with the left hand end walls of the said notches bearing onthe rod 24, thus shifting the socket 26 out of. communication with thehole 28 of the tubular Now the operation of the apparatus is started,

and the conveying device is rotated in the direction of the arrow :r:shown inFig. 2. The suction caps 21 of the left hand set of vvdisks. 20lare now in position for engaging the left hand or front end of thelowermost sheet ofthe pile 6, and at this momentggthe said suction capsand their sockets 26 are yin communication with the suctionapparatus'through the tubular shaft I4, the cavity of the' suction head3l andthe pipe 86. Thus the lowermost sheet is grippedv at its left handend. As the conveying device 5 continues its rotary movement the disks2liA are rotated anticlockwise. as is indicated by the arrow y, by theengagement of,` the gear wheel 95y with the internal gear 91. "Thecircumferential velocity of the disks 2U isgjequal `but opposite to thecircumferential velocity/of the conveying device 5 and thereforethe-said ldisks roll on the lower face of the lowerriiost lsheet withoutfriction so as to peel the lowermost sheet from the pile. s

In a similar way the rollers'f40 are rotated in the direction of thearrow z so that also these rollers roll on the sheet without friction.`But I wishit to be,; understood that my invention is not limited tof'theconstruction herein described into the position shown f in which therollers 40 move on the sheet Without friction, and that in somecasesslight friction may be desirable, as will be described hereinafter.Such slight friction may be accomplished by varying the gear ratio ofthe gearings 96 and 91 The sheet which has thus been taken from the pileis carried along by the disks 20 engaging the same, Fig. 1 showing threesuccessive disks for each station. In the position of the parts shown inFig. 2 the disks 20 located at the left of the conveying device 5 haveengaged the lowermost sheet with their suction caps 21, and they areabout to peel-fthe same from the said pile. In Fig. 3 the conveyingdevice has proceeded so far that the said disks are in the upper orintermediate position in which the sheet is placed around the same andheld in position by the disk 42, 43. In Fig. 2 the right hand disks 20have arrived in position for transferring the sheet to the receivingdevice 8. The grippers 11 are swung from the position shown in Fig. 2 indotted lines in full lines, in which they engage the sheet, the saidswinging movement of the grippers being caused by the roller carried bythe shaft 18 passing from the portion of larger diameter of the groove86 into the portion of smaller diameter thereof. Thus the sheet is takenfrom the device 5 and transferred to the receiving device 8 by means ofwhich it is carried to another apparatus for further treating the sheet,for example to an apparatus for assembling folded or unfolded sheets. Asthe sheets are successively taken from the pile, the remaining sheetsgradually follow by gravity and the said gradual movement is assisted bythe construction of the supporting rollers 40. The parts of the saidrollers engaging the pile are spaced from one another so as to providegaps into which portions of the sheets are sunk, and as the rollerscontinue their movement the pile is slightly vibrated. Thereby thesheets of the pile are made loose from one another and from the tongues88. The tongues 68 loosely arrest the edges of the lowermost sheets bytheir curved shape so that single sheets are taken from the pile. Theshape of the said tongues is adapted to the thickness and elasticity ofthe sheets, and tongues of various shapes and curvatures are kept instore and selectively mounted in the apparatus. in accordance with thecharacter of the sheets, so that ber of rotations made by each rollduring a complete rotation of the conveying device n. If n is a wholenumber,'the suction device 21 of the roll rotating within the conveyingdevice is operative in the same position of the rolls relatively to theconveying device and after a complete rotation. If, however, n is afraction, the suction cap 21 of the roll rolling within the conveyingdevice is displaced within the conveying device through an anglecorresponding to the denominator of the fraction, the said denominatorgiving the number of rotations of the conveying device after which theroll arrives againin its initial position relatively to the conveyingdevice.

.The number n also determines the angle included between the positionsof the suction cap 21 in which the sheet is taken from the pile and in nwhich it is transferred to the receiving device.

sheets of any thickness and elasticity are individually taken from thepile. The main part of the weight of the pile is supported on therollers 40, but a small component of the said weight acts on the laths01 and the tongues 68 to produce a certain friction for breaking thedownward movement of the pile more or less, and the said friction isvaried by varying the height and the angularity of the laths 61 and thecomponent of the weight` of the pile acting on the said laths. Thus thefront edge of the sheet being taken from the pile is relieved ofpressure particularly in case of thin sheets.

The rotary movements of the rolls 20 and the receiving device 8 aretimed so that the rolls 20 engage the front portion of the sheet to betaken from the pile 6 when the suction cap 21 is in the position shownin Fig. 2, and that the gripper arm 11 is moved into the position forgripping the sheet when the roll arrives in the position for deliveringthe sheet to the receiving device 8. In the example shown in the guresthree rolls 20 and one gripping arm 11 are provided, and therefore, thereceiving device 8 performs a complete rotation while the conveyingdevice 5 is rotated through an angle of 120, and the sheets are removedfrom the conveying device after rotation thereof through-an angle of120. Accordingly the gear ratio of the gear wheels 94 and |0| is 3:1.The vacuum supplied to the suction cap 21 is controlled so that it istransmitted to the said caps exactly when the caps are in the positionfor engaging the left hand front margin of the sheet, and the saidvacuum is maintained until the suction caps arrive in the position inwhich the gripping arms 11 take hold of the sheet, whereupon the vacuumis removed. The supply of the vacuum is exactly timed by means of theslides 31,.

f The gripping arms 11 are controlled so that they get into thepositions shown in Fig. 2 in full lines when the sheet has arrived inthe position for being delivered t0 the sheet receiving device 8. Theyare operated by means of the roller 85 engaging in the groove 86 made inthe disk 81, and for properly timing the operation the disk 81 isadapted to be adjusted in position by the screws 89 engaging in theslots 88.

It will be understood that my invention is not limited to a constructionin which the conveying device is equipped with three rolls 20. In Fig.15 I have shown a modiiication in which a single roll I I0 is providedon the conveying device, and Figs. 16 to 18 show examples in which fourand six rolls lli, ||2 and ||3 are provided. The diameter of the saidrolls may be R, and the num- For example, in the construction shown inFigs. 1 to 8, where three rolls are provided, the number n is 3, andaccordingly the sheet is transferred to the receiving device after a,revolution of the roll 20 through an angle of 360:3=120. In theconstruction shown in Fig. l5 the diameter of the roll ||0 is one halfof the diameter of the conveying device and the number n is 2.Accordingly the angle through which the roll revolves within theconveying device into the position for delivering the sheet is360:2==180, and accordingly the sheet receiving device 0 is located atan angle of away from the pile. In the modification shown in Fig. 16 thediameter of the rolls is one third of the diameter ofthe conveyingdevice, the number u is 3, and the angle ot revolution of the roll fromthe pile to the sheet receiving device 8 is 360:3==l20. In themodification shown in Figs. 17 and 13 the diameter of the rolls is onefourth of that of the conveying device and accordingly the number n is4. Therefore the angle through which the roll is revolved from the pileto the sheet receiving device 8 is 360:4=90.

The number of the rolls which may be used in a conveying device islimited. 'In the example shown in Fig. 15, only one roll can be used andin the modifications shown in Figs. 16 to 18 one toeight rolls mayrespectively be used. On the number of the rolls depends the ratio ofthe number of rotation of the conveying device and the sheet receivingdevice. Where a single roll is provided in the conveying device the saidratio is 1:1, where two rolls are provided the ratio is 2:1, etc.

In some cases I prefer to provide the rolls 20 at the portions first.engaging the front edges of the sheets with notches permitting the frontedges to be bent away from the pile. This modification has beenillustrated in Fig. 10. As is shown in the said figure the suction roll|03 is formed with a notch |04 having an inwardly directed wall |05curved along a radius smaller than the radius of the circumference ofthe roll, and a portion |08 connecting the inner end of the said curvedportion |05 with the circumference of the roll. The suction head |01opens to the said curved portion |06. The front edge of the lowermostsheet is spread away from the body of the pile and it engages in thesaid notch and on the portion |06 of the wall thereof, while the nextsheet cannot follow the lowermost sheet, because it is arrested by thetongue B8.

Thick and comparatively sti sheets or folded sheets may be made to enterthe said notch by exerting thereon a certain rubbing action tending tobend the same inwardly and towards the roll, for example by rotating therollers 40 at a

